Although bettas are easier to care for than many other types of fish, they are still bacterial infected because of some reasons, such as poor-quality aquarium environment or stress.
The good news is most of these diseases can be cured with prompt treatment and care. Here is an ultimate guide about how to treat a bacterial infection in a betta fish.
Velvet, Oodinium Pilularis
Symptoms
This is a rod-shaped parasite that develops through the spore stage. It resides underneath the skin of the fish and starts developing from tiny spots on the host’s body.
Under the right conditions, these spores create a yellow-brown velvet layer and cover the fish skin.
Caution: This bacterial infection is extremely contagious.
Infected bettas usually gasp for breath, rub their bodies against objects in the aquarium, and swim lumpily.
Treatment
Increase the water temperature of your betta tank (70 to 79 degrees F) to speed up the growth cycle of the parasite.
Remember that parasites on bettas are very difficult to kill; they are only eliminated once leaving the host body and swimming in the water. If treating your fish in cold water temp, the growth cycle of these parasites could be up to several weeks.
Soak bettas in freshwater diluted with salt or any chemicals containing copper salts, like Aquarisol and Coppersafe.
Or, buy velvet bacteria remedies that are commonly found in aquarium shops.
But keep in mind that the stronger the medication, the more stressful the fish is.
Prevention
Do not change the tank temperature suddenly. Always put your betta bag in the new tank for about 15 minutes to allow the temperature on both sides to equalize before releasing the fish.
Isolate new fish and plants to make sure that you do not bring outside bacteria into the tank.
Note: Velvet Oodinium pilularis might appear on bettas’ head.
Fortunately, it is very easy to cure - just add a little salt or tetra in the tank and your bettas will recover after 1 week. It is important to clean the diseased aquarium thoroughly to avoid spreading the infection (wash with sterile soap).
Flavobacterium Columnare, False Fungus, Cottonmouth, Or Mouth Fungus
Symptoms
Although it looks like a fungal disease, it is actually caused by Columnaris, a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium. This is an opportunistic disease, when a fish has another disease and has a weakened immune system, it attacks.
It usually resides on the head, lips, mouth, and inside the mouth of bettas. Here are some common symptoms of this bacterial infection:
Spots in gray-white, white, or brown-yellow color appear on the fish head, fins, gills, or body, along with red circles around the infected area
The area around the fish's mouth flakes up like a cotton ball. That’s why it is frequently confused with fungal disease. A trick to quickly distinguish between them is: the fungal disease has elongated filaments like hair while the cold sore looks like a cotton ball
Treatment
- For mature bettas, use malachite green
- For bettas of all sizes, use salt or Melafix
- Just try antibiotics (such as Spectrogram, Furanace, or Sulfa) in case of force majeure.
Prevention
Here are some of the reasons causing mouth fungus to arise that you should avoid:
- The water temperature is increased dramatically
- You keep too much fish in an aquarium
- The tank water is too dirty
- Low dissolved oxygen concentration
- Nitrite concentration is suddenly increased.
- Leftover food isn’t removed frequently
Fin Rot
Symptoms
This bacterial infection commonly occurs when your bettas are under stress or have impaired immunity to bacteria that readily exist in the water environment.
The most popular symptom of fin rot is the find edges of your betta are discolored.
If these spots spread to the rays of the fins and flesh, it becomes severe and your fish might die.
In general, this bacterial infection damages the fins of bettas, which also invites many fungal diseases.
Treatment
First thing first, identify the causes of this bacterial infection, then use the right treatment accordingly. For example, Melafix, Maracyn, salt, or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) mixed into the aquarium water or applied to the infected fins.
If you choose to apply hydrogen peroxide to the infected fins, make sure to not apply it to the gills. Otherwise, fish might die.
Only use antibiotics like Tetracycline and Sulfa in case of force majeure.
Remember to change the aquarium water frequently, then add some salt, methylene blue, ot almond leaf juice for treatment.
Conclusion
For both beginner and experienced betta keepers, it is very important to equip yourself with knowledge about how to identify and treat a bacterial infection in a betta fish.
We hope that this article has helped you to find out the right treatment for your pet and help them recover faster. Thanks for reading!
